Golf Putter Head for Ensuring Pure Roll

ABSTRACT

A new golf putter head is disclosed, comprising an upper portion and a sole pillar, wherein the upper portion comprises a strike face and the bottom edge of the strike face is at a height within 0.375″ of the golf ball equator, and the sole pillar does not contact the ball at any point during the swing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention takes priority from Provisional App. No.62/162,723, filed May 16, 2015, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to golf putters, and moreparticularly to golf putter heads that ensure that the ball rollswithout slippage.

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to a golf putter head. Putting accounts for over40% of a golfer's strokes. Factors such as alignment of the putter face,path of the putter, launch angle, club speed, impact location, grippressure, forward or backward rotation, hook or cut spin, grain, spikemarks, slope and even wind can play a significant part in the outcome ofa putt.

In the horizontal plane, the strike face of the putter may be open(positive angle), closed (negative angle) or square (perpendicular) tothe putter's path. These various face angles along with the putter swingpath determine the direction in which the ball will start to travel.Face angle at impact accounts for as much as 92-95% of the startingdirection of putts. As soon as the golf ball contacts the puttingsurface, friction will initiate over-spin; however, this is not pureover-spin at this point. It can take the best part of 4 feet, or 40% outof a 10-foot putt for some balls to achieve rolling without slippage.Rolling without slippage is called “pure roll”. After putter headimpact, the ball is airborne for a short time, hits the ground, thenslides along the putting surface due to friction. Ball rotation beginswhen the frictional force between ground and ball is overcome by thetranslational speed of the ball. The harder the ball is hit, the furtherit will go before pure roll starts to occur. When the ball has eitherstopped skidding or spinning, rolling without slippage (pure roll) isachieved. The random nature of ball spinning and slippage due tofriction greatly diminishes putting accuracy, whereas the pure rollphase dramatically improves putting accuracy.

The prevailing architecture of a golf putter has a sole-faceintersection angle that ranges from perpendicular to an opensole-to-face angle of 10°. Typically, the angle vertex occurs at thetermination point of the playing surface. Striking a golf ball with thesole-face vertex located at the putting floor produces an impact beneaththe equator of the golf ball. This blow delivers increased loft,backspin, and sliding. Backspin is undesirable because it causes theball to rotate counterclockwise, reducing putt accuracy, and delayingthe initiation of the more accurate, controlled pure roll phase. Thesecounterproductive results equate to false roll, random accuracy, andinconsistent putting scores. Since the putting surface is a fixedenvironment, only modifications made to the putter face can improve balldynamics that lead to improved putting accuracy. If the sole height israised independent of the face angle, then an increase in center strikeswill occur. A strike with optimized launch characteristics will increasethe ability to achieve pure roll within 20% of the length of the putt.

A need exists for a putter head that reduces ball loft on impact, randomspinning while airborne, and skidding upon landing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a putter head thatenables the pure roll phase earlier than prior art putter heads.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a putter head thathits the golf ball within the strike zone.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a putter head thatdoes not touch the golf ball below the strike zone at any point duringthe swing.

The golf putter head of the present invention comprises an upper portionthat comprises a strike face, with a strike face edge located on thebottom of the strike face; and a sole pillar located below the upperportion, wherein the sole pillar does not contact the golf ball whilethe strike face strikes the golf ball. The strike face edge ishorizontal and located at a height that is within 0.375″ of the diameterof a golf ball.

In an embodiment, the sole pillar comprises a sole pillar face, which isrecessed with respect to the strike face, and both the strike face andsole pillar face are approximately vertical.

In an embodiment, the strike face is at an angle between −30 and 30degrees with respect to a vertical plane.

In an embodiment, the strike face edge comprises a chamfer, a bull nose,a rounded edge, or a bevel.

Either the sole pillar, the strike face, or both, may be textured.

The sole pillar may be removable and its location may be adjustable. Thesole pillar may also comprise multiple pieces, each piece being attachedindependently to the upper portion.

In an embodiment, the strike face edge is located at a height that isless than the diameter of the golf ball.

In an embodiment, the strike face edge is located at a height that issubstantially equal to the diameter of the golf ball.

In an embodiment, the golf putter head dimensions are governed by thefollowing parameters:

-   the distance between a heel and a toe of the upper portion is y₁i;-   the distance between a bottom and a top of the upper portion is z₁;-   the distance between a face and a back of the upper portion is x₁;-   the distance between a heel and a toe of the sole pillar is y₂;-   the distance between a bottom and a top of the sole pillar is z₂;-   the distance between a face and a back of the sole pillar is x₂;-   the distance between a heel and a toe of the strike face is y₃;-   the distance between a bottom and a top of the strike face is z₃;-   the distance between the strike face and a front of the sole pillar    is x₃;-   the pitch of the sole pillar is θ₁;-   the pitch of the strike face is θ₂;-   the yaw of the sole pillar is ψ₁;-   the yaw of the strike face is ψ₂;-   the roll of the sole pillar is φ₁;-   the roll of the strike face is φ₂;-   wherein:

y₁≤7″;

z ₁ =z ₂ +z ₃;

y₁>x₁;

x ₁ =x ₂ +x ₃;

y₂<y₃;

z₂<z₁;

x₂<x₁;

y₃≥0.5y₁;

y₃≥⅔x₁;

z ₃ =z ₁ −z ₂;

x₃<x₁;

0≤θ₁≤180°;

−30°≤θ₂≤30°;

0≤ψ₁≤180°;

0≤ψ₂≤180°;

0≤φ₁≤180°;

0≤φ₂≤180°.

In an embodiment, the sole pillar comprises a set of guides on itsbottom side to reduce club drag.

LIST OF FIGURES

FIG. 1. Golf Putter Head Coordinate System

FIG. 2. Side View of Current Putter Head Technology

FIG. 3. Side View of Pure Roll Putter Head Design

FIG. 4. Side View of Putter Face Impacting Golf Ball within the StrikeZone

FIG. 5. Front View of Strike Zone Impact Location on a Golf Ball

FIG. 6. Ball Slippage: Friction vs. Pure Roll

FIG. 7. Perspective View of the Putter Head

FIG. 8. Front View of the Putter Head

FIG. 9. Top View of the Putter Head

FIG. 10. Perspective View of the Putter Head Bottom

FIG. 11. Front View of the Putter Head with Different Sole PillarConfigurations

FIG. 12. Perspective View of the Putter Head and Retrofit Member

FIG. 13. Side View of a Sole Pillar/Strike Face Edge Bevel

FIG. 14. Front View with Strike Face and Sole Pillar Surface Textures

FIG. 15. United States Golf Association (USGA) Putter Specifications

FIG. 16. A Pure Roll Putter Head Configuration

FIG. 17. Interactive Design Flow Chart for Performance Optimization

Table 1. Putter Head Dimensional Configuration Limits

Table 2. Reference Numbers

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description describes solely a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, and is not meant to limit the invention to thatparticular embodiment. The invention is limited solely by the claims.

Nomenclature, Terminology, and Engineering Model Conventions

The reference numbers used in the present disclosure are listed in Table2.

FIG. 1 depicts the putter head 10 parameters which are defined using6-degree-of-freedom 15 modeling conventions. The translationalparameters are in a standard x 16, y 17, and z 18 coordinate system withcorresponding rotations of roll 19, pitch 20, and yaw 21. The right handrule is used to determine positive angular rotations.

Roll 19, denoted by φ, is rotation about the x-axis 16. A positive rollangle corresponds to a heel-up/toe-down putter head and a negative yawangle is a heel-down/toe-up rotation. The heel is referred to as 13 andthe toe is referred to as 14.

Pitch 20, denoted by θ, is rotation about the y-axis 17. A positivepitch angle corresponds to putter strike face 30 up (produces ball loft)and a negative pitch angle is putter strike face 30 down (ballaccelerates downward).

Yaw 21, denoted by ψ, is rotation about the z-axis 18. A positive yawangle corresponds to an open strike face 30 while a negative yaw anglehas a closed strike face 30.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 2 depicts a prior art conventional putter head 10, which regardlessof size or shape, is designed to launch the golf ball 41. A typicalstrike face angle of 3-6 degrees is used, depending on how much loft isdesired. This positive strike face angle places the strike zone belowthe center of gravity of the ball, thus lifting it from its grounddepression upon impact. The loft is accompanied by ball backspin 49 withan unpredictable duration of the airborne phase and skidding 45 uponlanding. This combined effect causes putt inaccuracy.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual drawing of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown, the putter head of the present inventioncomprises a strike face 30 that does not extend the entire height of theputter head but ends somewhere within the strike zone of the ball, and asole pillar 26 that comprises a sole pillar face 34 that is recessed insuch a way that it does not touch the ball during the putter's swing.Because there is no contact with the ball below the strike zone, theball does not acquire a backspin, which reduces skidding 45 and ensuresthat the pure roll phase 43 happens earlier.

Since the only impact to the ball is within or above the strike zone,the ball sits down in a depression. The initial blow will thus limit oreliminate ball loft, produce negligible skidding 45, with a shortairborne phase, and quick entry into the pure roll 43 phase. Thedecreased backspin 49 and reduce distance to reach pure roll 43 willincrease putting accuracy. This new design feature, called a sole pillar26, can be incorporated into all current putter head designs, regardlessof size or shape.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of an embodiment of the putter head 10 (withthe sole pillar 26), golf ball 34, the golf ball's equator 42 andstrikezone 48 on a grass surface 37. As shown, the putter head does notmake any contact with the ball at any point below the equator. While thesole pillar 26 is shown here as a planar face roughly parallel to thestrike face 30, it is not a requirement for practicing the presentinvention. The sole pillar can be any shape and any angle as long as itdoes not make contact with the ball below the strike zone. Similarly,the exact distance that the sole pillar is recessed from the strike facecan be any distance that ensures that the sole pillar does not makecontact with the ball during the swing.

FIG. 5 shows the location of the targeted strike zone 48 on a golf ball.The strike zone 48 represents the acceptable impact area required tolimit golf ball 41 loft and spin. The exact height at which the ball isstruck within that zone determines ball behavior. It will be understood,however, that the strike zone can be wider or narrower around theequator, or asymmetrical around the equator, in other embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 shows a side-by-side comparison of two golf balls and theirdynamics after impact. FIG. 6a shows golf ball 41 dynamics upon landingusing a conventional prior art putter head. In this case, the backspin49 direction opposes the direction of golf ball 41 travel, thus skidding45 or slippage 45 results due to friction between the ball 41 and theground 44. FIG. 6b , on the other hand, shows golf ball dynamics whenusing the putter head of the present invention with a sole pillar heightdesigned to impact within the strike zone 48 of the ball 41. This latterscenario puts the golf ball 41 in a state of topspin 43 with angularmomentum spinning in the direction of ball travel. This greatly reducesground friction and pure roll 43 is achieved more readily. Pure rolling43 without slipping 45 is achieved when the horizontal velocity of thegolf ball 41 equals the angular velocity of the golf ball 41.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the golf putter head 10, which has ashaft 11 directly connected to the putter head 10, but partially removedfor illustration purposes. As with conventional prior art putters, theshaft 11 may be made of materials such as steel, graphite, wood and thelike, as long as the material possesses appropriate strength andrigidity. In addition to the shaft 11, the putter head 10 could includea hosel and grip (not shown). Depending upon the preference of theputter manufacturer, a variety of shafts may be used for connection tothe putter head, including but not limited to: neck hosel shafts,crank-neck, short slant-neck, slant-neck, double-bend or center shaft.Depending upon the preference of the putter manufacturer, the putterhead shape can be a blade, mallet or a combination of both. The putterhead 10 can be made from metal, bi-metal, wood, plastic, composites andany combination thereof.

In the preferred embodiment, the top of the putter head has an alignmentmarker or arrow 12 to identify the center line of the putter head 10.That is not required for practicing the present invention.

The magnified view shown in the Figure illustrates one possible way inwhich the strike face 30 and the sole pillar 26 could be arranged. Asmentioned above, while here, the sole pillar 26 has a face that's nearparallel to the strike face, this is not required for practicing thepresent invention. All that is required is for the sole pillar to berecessed back from the strike face so that it does not touch the ballduring the swing.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the preferred embodiment golf putter head.This view illustrates the stepping or railing of the sole pillar 26 incomparison to the front of the strike face 30. The strike face 30extends in front of the sole pillar 26. By design, the putter headcenter of gravity location, along with the height and rotation of thesole pillar 26, and rotation of the strike face 30, materials andsurface texture selections, will be combined to optimize the roll of thegolf ball 41.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the putter head of the present invention.Depending upon the preference of the putter manufacturer, the putterhead 10 design can be a blade, mallet or a combination of both. Putterhead 10 shafts can have many locations and styles such as neck hoselcrank-neck, short slant-neck, slant-neck, double-bend, and/or a centershaft. All shaft types and locations could be employed for connection tothe putter head of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration of the bottom side of the putterhead of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. This viewillustrates the stepping or railing of the sole pillar 26 in comparisonto the bottom of the strike face 30. As shown, the face of the solepillar 26 is near-parallel to the strike face 30 and recessed back fromthe strike face 30. The intersection of the sole pillar 26 and strikeface 30 is the strike edge 47.

FIG. 11 is a front view of an embodiment of the golf putter head of thepresent invention with configurable sole pillar geometries. It may bedesirable to place the sole pillar in a particular location to move thecenter of gravity of the putter head to a desired location. Sincedifferent players may have different preferences in that respect, anadjustable or configurable sole pillar may be needed. Locations A, B,and C illustrate removable sole pillars 26 in different locations on theputter head 10. Each location could be adjustable, weightable, coupled,fixed and rotatable with multiple configurations to maximize the putterhead performance. The shape of the sole pillars 26 could also be varieddepending on player needs. The removable sole pillars 26 may be attachedto the putter head 10 by means of screws, snaps, magnets, slides, or anyother attachment means that result in a rigid, secure attachment.

In an embodiment, an existing prior art putter head may be modified byadding a sole pillar as a retrofit. FIG. 12 is a perspective view ofthat embodiment. This illustrates a putter head 10 with a retrofitmember 40. The retrofit member 40 is a sole pillar 26 encompassing allthe variables in Table 2. The putter head to be retrofitted can be ablade style putter, mallet or a combination of both. As shown in theFigure, multiple sole pillar pieces may be used. The retrofit member 40may be attached to the prior art putter head by screws, magnets, snaps,or any other attachment means resulting in a rigid, secure attachment.

In an embodiment, the strike face edge may be beveled, chamfered, orrounded. FIG. 13 is a side view of the putter with a beveled strike faceedge 47. The strike face edge 47 can be configured using various edgetechnologies combined with surface textures 46 with performancecharacteristic designed to minimize loft and backspin 49 in favor oftopspin 43 and hastened pure roll 43. Edge shapes may include but arenot limited to: bevel, chamfer, rounded, bull nose, and shall includeboth concave and convex surfaces.

In an embodiment, the strike face may be textured. FIG. 14 is a frontview of the strike face 30, strike face edge 47 and sole pillar 26 withcoarse to fine textures 46. Textures 46 may be applied to the strikeface 30, sole pillar 26, the strike face edge 47, or any combination ofthe above.

In the preferred embodiment, the putter head 10 of the present inventionconforms to the rules of the United States Golf Association (USGA). FIG.15 illustrates the current dimensional requirements for a conformingputter head.

The USGA maintains “The Rules of Golf” to specify the equipment whichmay be used to play the game. In general, they are “descriptive” and“restrictive” in nature—defining what a golf putter head should looklike and limiting how golf putter heads can perform. The following isstated by the USGA for a putter head:

“When the putter head is in its normal address position, the dimensionsof the head must be such that:

-   -   the distance from the heel to the toe is greater than the        distance from the face to the back;    -   the distance from the heel to the toe of the head is less than        or equal to 7 inches (177.8 mm);    -   the distance from the heel to the toe of the face is greater        than or equal to two thirds of the distance from the face to the        back of the head;    -   the distance from the heel to the toe of the face is greater        than or equal to half of the distance from the heel to the toe        of the head; and    -   the distance from the sole to the top of the head, including any        permitted features, is less than or equal to 2.5 inches (63.5        mm).

The USGA Rule goes on to describe how these measurements should be madefor traditionally shaped heads and that for unusually shaped heads, theheel-to-toe measurement may be made at the face.”

FIG. 15 is a top view of the putter head which designates the locationsof y₃ 32 (length of putter face), x₁ 23 (width of the putter body) andy₁ 24 (length of the putter body). The face view indicates the locationof z₁ 25 (height of the putter body) The USGA equations 50 are the upperand lower limits which must be retained to become a USGA conformingputter head.

Table 1 demonstrates the dimensional specifications for a putter headincorporating the current conforming parameters in FIG. 14. Table 2defines 4 variables: body, sole pillar, strike face and rotation. Eachvariable has inherent linear dimensions [x 16, y 17, and z 18] withaffiliated rotation elements [roll 19 (φ), pitch 20 (θ), and yaw 21 (ψ)]used to define the entire pure roll putter geometry, including theall-important sole pillar 26 and strike face 30 elements. The variablesunits are either in inches or degrees. Each variable has lower and upperlimits and established equations.

FIG. 16 illustrates a pure roll putter head configuration where alldimensions fall within the design limits identified in Table 2 and alsomeet the USGA standards shown in FIG. 15. It will be understood thatthis is a single embodiment of the invention and that many other putterhead configurations of the present invention can also meet these designlimits and USGA standards.

The example in FIG. 16 illustrates a putter head with:

Translation: Body x₁ = 3″ y₁ = 5″ z₁ = 1.5″ Sole Pillar x₂ = 2″ y₂ = 2″z₂ = .75″ Strike Face x₃ = 1″ y₃ = 3″ z₃ = .75″ Rotation: Sole Pillar(roll) ϕ₁ = 0° (pitch) θ₁ = 45° (yaw) ψ₁ = 0° Strike Face (roll) ϕ2 = 0°(pitch) θ2 = 6°  (yaw) ψ2 = 0°

This particular model will align with a 1.680″ diameter golf ball 41approximately at the equator 42.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart that accompanies Table 1. It incorporates all ofthe putter head design parameters of this invention. Each parameter isconfigured independently with the ultimate performance goal ofexpediting pure roll.

During the design process, various other design features would also needto be defined. Some of those design features include, but are notlimited to, the following:

-   -   Putter head shapes (blade, mallet, Futuristic Design)    -   Shaft (location, length, steel, wood, graphic)    -   Grip (standard, medium, large)    -   Material composition (aluminum bronze, copper nickel, carbon        steel, copper, carbon damascus, stainless steel, mix metals,        wood, plastics, combination of all the above)    -   Face finishes and textures    -   Sole pillar finishes and textures    -   Face inserts    -   Putter weighting (toe weighed for conventional open-square-close        stroke and face balance for straight back and straight through        stroke)    -   Lie angle

The appropriate selection of these physical attributes will support andenhance the previously optimized putter head design of the presentinvention.

In an embodiment, design refinements can also be made to produce pureroll putter head configurations that can account for green/weatherconditions as well as user skills.

An example would be a configuration of this invention with a sole pillardesigned to strike slightly below the equator of the ball to produceminimal backspin, just enough to limit ball momentum on a fast downhillgreen. That is, refinements of the pure roll putter design can befurther “tweaked” to meet various nuances of the putting game, all withimproved putt accuracy in mind.

Furthermore, the putter head of the present invention can be refined toalso compensate for the human input factor and be made with designassistance for persons both skilled and unskilled in the art of putting.For example, if a person tends to drag the bottom of the club onapproach, the putter head of the present invention could comprise a setof guides on the bottom of the putter to reduce club drag so a freeswing will occur with a strike at the equator of the ball. Many otherrefinements are possible to facilitate the personal needs of the human,whether it is a professional or a newcomer to the game of golf putting.

A person of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerousdesign configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefitsof the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurationsand arrangements of the embodiments of the present invention the scopeof the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims.

1. A golf putter head, comprising: an upper portion, comprising a strikeface, said strike face being configured to strike a golf ball, saidstrike face comprising a strike face edge located on the bottom of thestrike face; a sole pillar located below the upper portion, said solepillar shaped in such a way as to not contact the golf ball while thestrike face strikes the golf ball; wherein the strike face edge ishorizontal and located at a height ranging from 0.375″ less than adiameter of a golf ball to 0.375″ more than a diameter of a golf ball.2. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the sole pillar comprises asole pillar face, wherein the both the strike face and the sole pillarface are approximately vertical, and wherein the sole pillar face isrecessed with respect to the strike face.
 3. The golf putter head ofclaim 1, wherein the strike face is at an angle ranging between −30 and30 degrees with respect to a vertical plane.
 4. The golf putter head ofclaim 1, wherein the strike face edge comprises one of the following: abevel, a chamfer, a rounded edge, or a bull nose.
 5. The golf putterhead of claim 1, wherein at least one of the strike face and the solepillar is textured.
 6. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein the solepillar is removable.
 7. The golf putter head of claim 6, wherein thesole pillar comprises at least two pieces, wherein each of the at leasttwo pieces may be attached independently to the upper portion.
 8. Thegolf putter head of claim 6, wherein the sole pillar's location withrespect to the upper portion is adjustable.
 9. The golf putter head ofclaim 1, wherein the strike face edge is located at a height less thanthe diameter of the golf ball.
 10. The golf putter head of claim 1,wherein the strike face edge is located at a height substantially equalto the diameter of the golf ball.
 11. The golf putter head of claim 1,wherein: the distance between a heel and a toe of the upper portion isy₁; the distance between a bottom and a top of the upper portion is z₁;the distance between a face and a back of the upper portion is x₁; thedistance between a heel and a toe of the sole pillar is y₂; the distancebetween a bottom and a top of the sole pillar is z₂; the distancebetween a face and a back of the sole pillar is x₂; the distance betweena heel and a toe of the strike face is y₃; the distance between a bottomand a top of the strike face is z₃; the distance between the strike faceand the face of the sole pillar is x₃; the pitch of the sole pillar isθ₁; the pitch of the strike face is θ₂; the yaw of the sole pillar isψ₁; the yaw of the strike face is ψ₂; the roll of the sole pillar is φ₁;the roll of the strike face is φ₂; and wherein:y₁≤7″;z ₁ =z ₂ +z ₃;y₁>x₁;x ₁ =x ₂ +x ₃;y₂<y₃;z₂<z₁;x₂<x₁;y₃≥0.5y₁;y₃≥⅔x₁;z ₃ =z ₁ −z ₂;x₃<x₁;0≤θ₁≤180°;−30°≤θ₂≤30°;0≤ψ₁≤180°;0≤ψ₂≤180°;0≤φ₁≤180°;0≤φ₂≤180°.
 12. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising: aset of guides on a bottom side of the sole pillar to reduce club drag.